Baymax's Medical Robot Family Tree (Part II): Rising Stars and Product Portfolio

After yesterday’s post, many readers left comments for Xiaobai saying, “You’re so cute—do your parents know?” To be honest, they can’t read. Alright, I know what everyone is most concerned about is: How much is the medical industry family worth? Will it become even more valuable in the future? Ah, talking about money is so tacky; let’s talk in US dollars!

The Million-Dollar "Capital Swallowing" of the Medical Family
According to reliable sources, the total national financing amount in 2014 was $341.3 million, representing a 36% increase from 2013 and easily surpassing the $219 million recorded in 2012. Of the total financing in 2014, the medical robotics sector secured $124.3 million, accounting for 36.4%. To date, cumulative financing in the robotics sector has exceeded half of the total financing amount in 2013 and approaches one-third of the 2014 total. This merely represents an initial investment surge driven by early-stage venture capitalists, with future growth potential remaining substantial.

Star Family
Within this “vast and populous” corporate family, these entities shine the brightest. They have spared no effort in the battle to seize the strategic high ground of the industry, having essentially achieved full self-sufficiency in core components such as sensors, controllers, and precision reducers. Their service footprint spans the breadth of healthcare, with significant roles in areas ranging from general surgery at Titan Medical to endovascular aneurysm repair at Hansen Medical.

1. Titan Medical Inc.
Headquartered in Canada and publicly listed, the company’s SPORT robotic system has been hailed as the “terminator” of the da Vinci Surgical System, with a price tag significantly lower than that of its competitor. Titan Medical anticipated launching commercial sales in the United States by mid-2017. Titan Medical’s portfolio primarily focuses on three surgical specialties: general surgery (cholecystectomy and appendectomy), gynecology (hysterectomy for benign tumors), and urology. This strategic focus was determined based on the market size and growth potential of these procedures among comparable surgical robotics platforms.

2. Siemens Healthineers
Under the jurisdiction of SIEMENS AG, it focuses on medical imaging, laboratory diagnostics, health information technology, and hearing aids. Its family member, the CEREC AC robot, can perfectly restore teeth, making it the most cutting-edge industry expert in the field of dentistry. Additionally, the Artis zeego robot specializes in angiography, enabling the diagnosis of tumors or vascular diseases, and has already established a collaboration with Munich University Hospital.

3. Medtronic, Inc.
Holding a prestigious reputation worldwide, the company is dedicated to providing lifelong solutions for patients with chronic diseases and offering medical products and treatment regimens for healthcare professionals. Medtronic’s services primarily cover the following areas: cardiac arrhythmias, heart failure, vascular diseases, heart valve replacement, extracorporeal cardiac support, minimally invasive cardiac surgery, malignant and non-malignant pain, movement disorders, diabetes, gastrointestinal diseases, urological diseases, spinal diseases, neurological diseases, and ENT surgical treatments.

4. Hitachi Medical Corporation
Hitachi Group, a Fortune 2005 company, has gradually risen to the top ranks in the global market for medical imaging diagnostic equipment. Its family of businesses integrates the development, manufacturing, sales, and maintenance of medical imaging diagnostic systems. Key services cover X-ray diagnostics, X-ray CT, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound diagnostics, nuclear medicine, as well as medical image management and electronic medical records. Its business scope spans nearly the entire global market for medical imaging equipment, with a particular strength in the open-type MRI market.

5. Hansen Medical, Inc.
This company specializes in diagnostic electrophysiology (EP) procedures and the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias. Its product portfolio includes the Sensei® Robotic Catheter System, which comprises two portable modules: a physician-controlled console and a patient-side module. The company’s offerings also include the Sensei® X robotic system, Artisan Extend™, Lynx™, and Courtesy, with services covering endovascular aneurysm repair, surgery, ablation, and more.

6. GE Healthcare
The IGS family of intelligent mobile robots boasts exceptional capabilities, leveraging its groundbreaking mobility design philosophy and innovative, clinically integrated intelligent guidance solutions to empower healthcare professionals in managing complex and critical cases. This comprehensive approach enhances clinical treatment standards across the board and pioneers a new era of mobile intelligence for hybrid interventional surgeries.



An intelligent system developed in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is capable of localizing, sorting, delivering, and sterilizing surgical instruments with minimal supervision, leveraging technologies such as robotic systems, radio-frequency identification (RFID), and computer vision. Surgical instruments, including forceps and scalpels, are each assigned a unique ID number, enabling rapid identification by various components of the robotic system. The system can perform a wide range of tasks, including instrument setup, movement during sterilization processes, and transport into and out of operating rooms, thereby ensuring that the correct sterile instruments are delivered to the right location at the right time and in the proper procedural sequence.



Rising Stars Family
With the nation’s industrialization and informatization in recent years, a new cohort of medical technology companies has emerged. Compared with established industry leaders, these newcomers offer more diversified and highly specialized services. Here, Dabai presents an infographic for your reference; constructive feedback is welcome.

It is said that the medical industry will be heavily prioritized by the state in the coming years, with sustained growth expected, and services in the fields of exoskeletons and surgery will be top priorities. Dear reader, are you ready?!